Today’s market is defined by cut-throat competition. Everyone is running to attain the unattainable. The insurance sector is no exception. And just because it is fiercely competitive and completely customer-focused, it's indispensable for insurance carriers to venture for a capable digital transformation. But even if businesses attempt to bring about this transformation, they are clueless as to the vision ahead, when it comes to realigning their processes. They probably hope the digital enhancements will magically drive the desired processes in the days to come.

Unfortunately, such reliance has no relevance. Companies must define the future state of processes first, along with the corporate objectives and only then they can develop a desired digital response.

For that to happen, there are a few key steps an insurer must keep in mind:

Outlining a specific Target Operating Model (TOM): Understanding and then designing accordingly a new target operating model – this is the basis of any digital transformation. It will help to provide the required vision to the insurer and then bring together the company’s strategy and technology to achieve it. There is no fixed format to construct a TOM, but it needs to include the channels for executing the right processes, customer touch points, tech capabilities, and strategies.

Identifying the processes that need automation: As the carrier charts its vision of process realignment for underpinning a transformation through digital capabilities, it must also detect which are the processes that can be automated, while using technologies like RPA or robotic process automation as well as analytics. Time-consuming manual tasks need to be removed, so that employees can make the most of their skills effectively on more crucial processes or devoting more time to customer service, ensuring unprecedented satisfaction standards.

Document management is often considered a prevalent area of automation. So, documents and other important papers can be created automatically and sent to the customers. Claims processes can be smoothened up, using predictive analytics to ensure it is accurately executed.

Deciding on the processes, which can be outsourced: It is important to identify the right tasks and the required procedures which can easily be outsourced to a third party for delivering operational competencies and enhanced precision and accuracy. Business-process outsourcing, on the other hand, helps claims leaders to concentrate on the skills of staff to make the most of the higher-value tasks, which can in the long run leads to a bigger impact on the organisation.

A few of the essential tasks that can be contented for outsourcing can be listed as:

Initial notice of loss capture

Document management

Mail processing

Subrogation

Devoting capabilities in change management: The most important and crucial way digital transformation investments will help to reap maximum rewards for the insurer is when the employees are completely on board with the changes. This is an ideal situation. They also need to internalise the future vision of the company and adopt the changes as per the requirements. This can be achieved only by implanting proper change management, throughout the complete life cycle of the project – from comprehending the vision of the company to the implementation of newer technologies.